Where We're Headed
by Ichiberry
Summary: Aizen sets in motion a series of events that will drag Grimmjow and Ichigo together, but where are they headed? Their journey together is only the first ripple of a wave. GrimmIchi
1. Dragged By Fate

*looks around* Oh! Hi there! You surprised me...

So, this idea has been hanging around in my head for a while, and although it's not planned in any way shape or form, I got sick Grimmjow nagging me. Sigh.

**DISCLAIMER: **Bleach and all its characters etc are owned by Tite Kubo. I don't own anything, and if I did, I'd probably get put away for the bad, bad things I'd make my puppets do *rubs hands evilly*.

This will be and eventual M rating, and there is going to be Grimmichi smut – so if you don't like M/M, you know what to do. No, put that fire extinguisher down – get outta here! The weirdos you get round here ¬_¬ seriously though, I will be highlighting which chapters will have M/M action, so don't feel as though you have to read it. But it you're still here, presumably you're not going to be all that bothered.

Onwards with the randoms, sorry for the shortness. It was either shorten it here, or have a reeeeally short second chapter... I also apologise for any splelgin msitkaes etc – I have no beta, and I couldn't be bothered going through and checking.

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"_Fate leads the willing, and drags along the reluctant" - Seneca_

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Aizen sat at the head of the long, white topped table, silently sipping his tea. Staring at the contents as it lightly lapped against the sides of the cup, he tuned back in with disinterest to the argument taking place further down the table. Grimmjow, sexta espada, was stood out of his chair with, his hands firmly planted on the tabletop, leaning forward into Ulquiorra's face, snarling.

Ah yes. Grimmjow and Ulquiorra, an eternal struggle between them that Aizen knew was likely to grow worse with his plan. Because they were arguing about the substitute Shinigami. Again.

"I'll kick that punk's ass any time I like! I don't need _permission_ from a fucker like you!"

Ulquiorra stared at Grimmjow blankly and replied slowly.

"No, you don't need my permission. If Aizen-sama does not wish it, and you act outside of his orders, I'm certain that even trash like you can comprehend my duty of... chastisement, for disobeying." The other espada was so predictable. Inwardly, Ulquiorra was smirking.

In anger, Grimmjow grabbed the front of the Cuarta's uniform with one fist, and pulled back the other ready to pummel that brown nosing bastard's face into pulp, even as he sat there blank and unmoving.

"Enough." Aizen exerted his reiatsu upon Grimmjow, who was forced back into his seat, grimacing.

Steepling his fingers, Aizen leant back in his chair. Smiling serenely he studied Grimmjow, as he glared at the table.

Aizen was a smug bastard, delighting in trying to make Grimmjow appear weak. As if it was possible, he thought, glaring deeper. Grimmjow would kill all of them one day. He'd fuck up that smirking face, right after he'd beaten Ulquiorra into a bloody puddle on the sands of Las Noches.

As if amused by Grimmjow's thoughts, the traitor shinigami chuckled pleasantly.

"Well, I must say I am pleased with your enthusiasm to serve my cause, Grimmjow .Though I am sure it is purely your nature to seek out and destroy strength that threatens your own."

Grimmjow snarled, "I'm not threatened!"

Aizen's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, and Grimmjow fell silent.

"However, I would be most displeased if you were to kill him. That boy is most interesting... a little puzzle to study. It would be a nuisance if he died before I had a chance to study him."

If the other espada were shocked at Aizen's _apparent_ interest in the red headed annoyance, they did not look it as Aizen continued.

"He may work with Seretei, he is certainly not allied with them. Yes, I feel he is very interesting indeed."

Aizen paused and looked at each face around the table. Although it would be easier by far to send Gin, Aizen, who was not without a sense of humour, made his choice.

"Grimmjow, I wish you to accompany Ulquiorra on a mission to Karakura town, to restrain and bring back Kurosaki Ichigo to Las Noches. Grimmjow, you will _not_ damage Kurosaki – I wish him to be unharmed. You are there to merely prevent the interference of any other shinigami that may be there. Is that clear?" He emphasised his point with a short burst of reiatsu.

Ulquiorra bowed his head silently, and Grimmjow nodded tersely.

~Damn bastard!~ Well, he hadn't said anything about Grimmjow not being allowed to grind Kurosoki's face into the ground when he got him here.

Standing up, he knelt swiftly on one knee with beside the Cuatro, smirking at the floor, and then left the hall.

Once they were outside the confines of the fortress, Ulquiorra opened a garganta.

"I trust you'll behave." It wasn't a question.

"Don't worry. He'll get back here in one piece."

Ulquiorra stepped through, choosing to not reply, his silence an affirmation of his scepticism. Grimmjow followed, grinning.

Going to Karakura would be a drag, but once he had Kurosaki in his grasp, he would beat that smug shinigami into a bloody pulp on the sands of Hueco Mundo. He'd show Kurosaki that it was _Grimmjow_ who was the strongest. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets as the garganta closed behing the pair. Yeah, this was going to be _fun_.

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I'm not going to MAKE you review, but I do have this big stick here, and it's telling me to prod you until you do, so... if you're feeling nice, you know the drill!


	2. Cause and Effect

This is a very quick update because I already had a lot of this chapter written. Future updates are unlikely to be so quick, sorry! I'd also like apologise for the mistakes in the first chapter. I had gone through it but missed a few things. Once I've fiddled with FF I'll swap the chapter for a better edited one.

Insert **DISCLAIMER** etc.

Thanks to all of those who put me on their alerts, to LoveOfMyLifeIs who reviewed (yay!) and to all those people who came and read it and left in silence. Made me feel great! *plagued by insecurity* nah, I can cope. I'm the one who knows what's going to happen so bwahahaha.

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"_The cause is hidden; the effect is visible to all" _- Ovid.

* * *

A garganta opened in the sky over Karakura town. It was early evening, and the horizon Ulquiorra and Grimmjow stepped out towards was tinted coral. They had arrived above a wide avenue of houses and trees, and in the distance the rush of traffic hinted at a busy town centre.

There were several strong sources of reiatsu, perhaps four or five, and although Grimmjow wouldn't have minded tearing through them until he found Kurosaki, Ulquiorra sent out his pesquisa, and pointed to the east.

"There."

Grimmjow turned his head and basked in the beacon that was Kurosaki's reiatsu. Yeah, it was him alright. The taste of it was acidic and practically made his mouth water with the promise of a fight it held. He nearly shivered. Kurosaki resonated like a taut string.

Cracking his knuckles and stretching his neck, Grimmjow grinned menacingly. He was going to love this.

As Grimmjow leapt forward, Ulquiorra considered sighing as he followed the sexta. Such childish behaviour. Unfit to be Espada.

Considering the consequences should the shinigami be injured by Grimmjow being left unsupervised, Ulquiorra stepped up his pace, to find that Grimmjow had already reached their prey.

The orange haired teen was walking with a towering tanned guy, who Grimmjow sneered at. He had reiatsu but he was just a pathetic human.

Laughing insanely, he called, "KUROSAKI!" and leapt forward with a glint in his cyan eyes, throwing a wild punch.

The giant blocked the blow in front of his friend, but was thrown forcefully across the street, hitting the ground rolling.

"Chad!" yelled Ichigo.

Chad pulled himself to his feet clutching his left arm. Ichigo pulled out his shinigami badge, and his body fell away. Ichigo only just managed to block another punch.

Fucking Grimmjow Jagaerjaques!

Grimmjow didn't relent his attacks, kicking out at Ichigo who had a hard time keeping up with his defence. He had no chance to release his bankai, and was finding it difficult to counter Grimmjow's whirling attacks with just his shikai.

A round house kick connected with his torso, flinging him in a wall, which cracked outwards from the impact.

"Grimmjow." Ulquiorra held Grimmjow's fist.

Snarling, he turned to the smaller Espada pain the ass. "What?"

"Aizen-sama specifically instructed you to not damage the substitute shinigami."

"I'm just wearing him down, so he doesn't give ya any trouble!"

"That is not necessary."

Ichigo staggered away from the wall, and held his sword to go in to bankai.

Grimmjow shot forward, ripped Ichigo's sword from his hands, and grabbed his arms, twisting them behind his back. Ichigo cried out and fell to his knees. Chad ran forward to help, but Ulquiorra shot a cero from an outstretched finger. Chad blocked the cero, but was pushed back from the force.

Turning his attention once more to Ichigo, Ulquiorra spoke flatly. "Aizen-sama has instructed us to bring you to him. You will not resist, and we will not allow you to fight us."

"Like hell you won't!" Raising his reiatsu, Ichigo tried to force his captor away from him.

Grimmjow shifted his grip and slammed Ichigo chest first into a wall.

"Don't worry, Shinigami! There'll be plenty of time for that later!" Laughing, he grabbed Ichigo's collar, smacked him across the back of the head, and hoisted the teen over his shoulder.

Tearing open a garganta, Grimmjow gestured to Ichigo's human body.

"What about that?"

"I will bring it." Ulquiorra dragged the shell behind him as he stepped onto a path through to Hueco Mundo.

Chad clawed himself up onto his arms, and watched as Ichigo's orange hair disappeared into the darkness of the garganta.

* * *

Ichigo woke up groaning on a hard cold surface. Opening his eyes, he pushed himself up onto his forearms. Looking up and around, the room had a high vaulted ceiling, white pillars and a white marble floor. There was a straight-backed chair sat on a slight platform at one end, Ichigo sprawled at the centre of chamber. He sat on his own, shivering slightly.

The sound of footsteps echoed, bouncing between the walls, disorientating him to their direction.

Aizen stepped out of the darkness behind his traitor's throne, with a smile touching his lips. Ichigo scrambled to his feet, reaching for his zampakto. His hands grasped at the empty air.

The ex-captain chuckled. Resting a hand on the back of the imposing throne, Aizen studied the Kurosaki boy, who was stood in a defensive pose, glaring at the older man.

"Where's my sword, you bastard!" Ichigo demanded.

"Now, now." Aizen tutted. "There's no need to be rude, Kurosaki-san. I felt it best that you were unarmed. I wouldn't like to see you provoking someone into hurting you."

"Give me my sword! Unless you're a coward." Ichigo panted with anger.

Shaking his head, Aizen descended the few steps towards his new prisoner.

"I am no coward, Kurosaki-san. No, it is for your own good you are not armed. Being armed with your sword is likely to get yourself killed, and you are here and alive at my pleasure. It would not bode well if you were ungrateful."

"Let me go. What the hell do you want with me?" Ichigo stood his ground as Aizen approached.

"That is none of your concern at this moment. Nothing is required of you, and you will not be imprisoned here-"

"Then let me go!" Ichigo interrupted.

"You will be given a _room_, and be free to travel through the grounds. However, you are not to leave Las Noches, and you will _behave_. I'm sure you keen to stay out of trouble. My Espada are loyal, but sometimes they forget themselves. If you should overstep the boundaries put upon you, you alone will be responsible for the consequences. No one will help you."

Ichigo wasn't suicidal. Without his zampakto, he was practically defenceless, although he was still in his spiritual form.

"Welcome, Ichigo, to Las Noches." Aizen spread his arms wide.

* * *

He was marched from the audience chamber by the stolid Ulquiorra. Ichigo glared at the short Espada's back the whole way past seemingly endless corridors of tall white doors, until they arrived in front of a similarly unremarkable door.

Ulquiorra opened the door, and did not bother turning to check that shinigami followed him into the room.

It was as stark white as everything else in Las Noches. Ichigo was sure he'd get a migraine. Bastard Aizen probably meant that to happen.

Taking a cursory glance around the room, he saw a large western divan bed one wall, a small table positioned in front of a long sofa. A door opposite the bed probably led to the bathroom. It was illuminated by long windows, curtained with transparent netting. A small wardrobe stood beside a full length mirror in the corner.

"Your room."

_Duh_. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"You are not to leave this room without permission. For now, you must stay in here until someone collects you."

So much for not being a prisoner.

"There are clothes in that wardrobe. You will wash and change into them. You will be ready for dinner in one hour."

Ulquiorra turned and walked straight out of the room closing the door with a resounding thud. Ichigo ran towards it and tried the handle. _Locked._ Ichigo added it to the list of things he hated about Aizen and his Espada.

His head was throbbing, and he was still covered in the sweat from his earlier fight. He explored the bathroom, turning on the taps in a large shower. The artificial light in here sparkled off tiles. A small piece of aesthetic vanity in a wasteland.

Stripping off, Ichigo relaxed under the flow of the pleasing hot water. He didn't feel anything more than anger at this time. He'd get his zampakto back, and he'd fight his way back to Karakura. Chad would have told Urahara, or someone, about his abduction, and they'd have a garganta ready.

Ignoring the obvious complexities of this plan, Ichigo stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel about his waste, drying his hair as he walked. Pulling on a pair of white hakama pants, frowning at them, he carried the top back to the bed. He sat on the edge, his head throbbing again. _That asshole Grimmjow_. Lying back, he closed his eyes, zoning out of himself as he relaxed. The bed was soft, and the throbbing slowly ebbed away as he slipped into sleep.

* * *

"KUROSAKI!"

Ichigo sat up with a shock, cried out in pain, and then collapsed again onto the bed, breathing heavily.

The door to his room smashed open, and in came Grimmjow Jagerjaques.

He had kicked it open after banging on it for a good 15 seconds. He was pissed off. Nobody made him wait!

He spotted the shinigami brat lying on the bed, _IGNORING_ him. He stalked over and dragged him up by his orange hair. Kurosaki groaned again.

"What the fuck's wrong with ya? Get up!"

Pulling Ichigo off the bed onto his feet, Grimmjow shoved him a couple of feet before he collapsed, vomiting.

"Che. What are you trying to pull, shinigami? It's not gonna work whatever it is." He kicked Ichigo to prove his point.

All Ichigo could do was lie there and accept it. The back of his skull felt like someone was going at it with an axe. He shuddered a breath down, and tried to ease away the feeling of nausea.

Grimmjow stood over him, frowning.

Muttering under his breath about _fucking pathetic excuse_ Grimmjow hoisted the boy into his arms.

"You throw up on me, and I'll punch your fuckin' face in, got it?" he snarled.

"_Unngh,_"

Grimmjow would take that as a yes. _Goddam_ Ulquiorra, sending him down here like a nanny to collect Kurosaki for dinner. And now _this_. He looked down at the helpless shinigami in his arms, as he shivered. The moron hadn't put his top on, and Grimmjow watched the tanned chest rise and fall irregularly. Frowning again, Grimmjow used a quick sonido to get to Syazel's lab. Suppressing his own shiver of distaste, he pushed open the door, and yelled out for the octava Espada.

Aizen would have his balls if the precious shinigami was sick – blaming Grimmjow, when Ichigo was last with Ulquiorra.

"Szayel, where the fuck are ya?"

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And that's the end of Chapter Two. Felt like a good place to stop writing. No intentional cliffy (it's not much of one anyway).

You know how to show me love!


	3. Responsibility to Protect

Thanks to all those who have added this to alerts/faves etc. I've changed my mind about certain aspects of this story (those coming up, not pre-existing ones), so updates DEFINITELY won't be very quick.

Feedback would be VERY welcome! I'm not sure how I'm doing writing Grimmjow (or any of it tbh). How do you feel about the characters so far? I know there's not a lot to go on, but any advice you have will be warmly received... apologies for gr/sp as per.

**A/N: **It's possible some may get confused at the _when_ this story is set. It doesn't really fall into a specific chapter, but it's after Grimmjow and Ichigo's first encounter, and before Inoue's capture.

**Disclaimer** as per. I own nothing but the ideas in my head. All characters etc are property of Tite Kubo.

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"_Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape the consequences of his choices." _- Alfred Montapert.

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"Tsk tsk, Grimmjow-san! Have patience!" Szayel scolded as he sidled up to Grimmjow.

"Che. Whatever. Do something with the Shinigami. He passed out in his own vomit." Grimmjow pulled a disgusted face.

"Dear me. Lay him on that table whilst I fetch some things, if you please."

Dropping the prone body on top of a long silver topped examination table, Grimmjow crossed his arms with annoyance.

Szayel returned with some weird looking tabs and wires, which were electrodes, but had long thin black needle like protrusions poking out of the upper side. Pulling back the black hakama, Szayel fixed them over Ichigo's chest, and went over to a large computer screen. The black needles glowed at their ends and the light connected faintly between each point. He clicked away silently for a few moments, muttering to himself.

"Hmm. Peculiar. Has he sustained any serious injuries recently?" Szayel quizzed the sexta.

Rolling his eyes, Grimmjow detailed the brief encounter with the two humans before Kurosaki was taken through the garganta.

"It's possible that the blow to the back of the head is the culprit. Being separated from his body, any sort of aggravation to it could be causing his incapacitation. I shall report this to Aizen-sama."

Clicking his fingers, Szayel summoned one of his fraccion, relaying a message to Aizen. After the fraccion left, Szayel turned his cruel gaze onto Grimmjow.

"I find it odd that you have yet to be punished by Aizen-sama for damaging the boy. Perhaps he doesn't know what you did, ne?"

Grimmjow scoffed. As if he cared what Aizen would do. Besides, there's no way that the arse-licking Ulquiorra hadn't gone crying to the bastard as soon as they got back. Although, if he was perfectly honest with himself, Grimmjow didn't understand why he wasn't being pushed under Aizen's reiatsu-thumb right now. Scowling at the orange haired boy on the table, Grimmjow reconsidered his excitement. This was boring, and pathetic. There's no way that the Shinigami was this weak the first time they had encountered one another. No way.

A few minutes later, after Grimmjow had slid down a wall in boredom, the doors to Szayel's lab swung open, and in walked the big dick himself. Aizen glanced at Grimmjow who had refrained from getting to his feet.

Ignoring him he spoke to Szayel beside the teen, who was now covered up to his midriff by white sheet.

"He doesn't show any signs of physical damage, but his reiatsu output is a little erratic. I think that it's causing re-percussive physical effects, but the pain is of a strictly spiritually manifested problem. The spiritual form itself is sound."

"What can be done?" Aizen asked calmly, silently intrigued at the news.

"Placing him back in his human body for a short period might allow his reiatsu to stabilise, but it's no guarantee. It could be being caused by his body's inability to heal whilst he remains out of it, and the damage is being sympathetically passed on to his spiritual form. But as I say, I can't promise anything. This is merely hypothesising." Szayel adjusted his glasses, watching Aizen as he rested his fingertips on the Shinigami's brow.

"Placing him in his human body will be troublesome. It will make him vulnerable. However, I'm certain that something can be arranged. Make the arrangements, Szayel, and contact me when you are ready to reunite our guest with his body." Aizen turned, and walked to the door. Turning his head back slightly, he met Grimmjow's eyes. "Grimmjow. Come with me."

Grimmjow trailed behind, hands stuffed in pockets, still projecting smouldering arrogance. The pair arrived at the throne room where Aizen like to lord over his Espada. Grimmjow briefly wondered where the Cuarta was – usually he was about, ready to bask in the radiance of Aizen punishing the Sexta.

Aizen sat on his pretentious throne, rested his cheek on a hand, and watched Grimmjow silently. It set Grimmjow on edge and his gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"Grimmjow," Aizen finally spoke, "I distinctly asked you to bring the substitute Shinigami back _undamaged_. And yet, he is now lying on a table in Szayel's lab. Would you care to explain yourself?"

Grimmjow glared at the floor. "He was struggling."

Aizen sat silently. Grimmjow felt compelled to defend himself. "He brought it on himself, he would've been a problem bringing back through the garganta." He clenched and unclenched his fists.

Standing, and descending the dais towards Grimmjow, with his hands clasped behind his back, Aizen approached with predatory steps.

"Perhaps you are right Grimmjow. However, I am disappointed with you. Our poor guest is injured, and it is of your doing." He stopped before Grimmjow. "Perhaps there is a way to repay your poor behaviour? Ichigo Kurosaki will have to spend what could be some considerable time in his human body – unable to draw a zampaktou. He will be vulnerable. There are other arrancar who may wish him harm, despite my orders. I want you to stop him from getting into trouble. Keep an eye on him. I would hate to see any further harm come to him."

Aizen swept around his annoyed Sexta Espada and left the room. Grimmjow scowled gritting his teeth.

_What a pain in the ass! Dealing with a pathetic weak human._

He itched for a rematch, to see the horror of those hazel eyes being unleashed. He could wait a little while for that. Just a very little. He'd humiliate that Shingami everyday until Grimmjow got what he wanted from him, make him pay for Grimmjow _babysitting__**. **_Kurosaki had better mend quickly, or Grimmjow wouldn't wait around before beating the shit out of him properly.

* * *

A minor fraccion had been sent to Grimmjow, telling him that the octava espada was ready to revive the subsitute Shinigami. Grimmjow took his time getting to the lab. When he got there, he slumped over some equipment in Szayel's lab. Szayel had reunited the two bodies, and he lay as one on the silver table in the clothes he had been wearing when he was stolen away from the human world. Ichigo's face was pale, but a flush was high on his cheeks.

"Why's he so red?" Grimmjow barked.

"It's a side effect of his fluctuating reiatsu. It should go down when he's conscious and able to exert some control on it." Szayel explained. "Take this."

Szayel pressed an inscribed hexagonal fatalism into Grimmjow's upturned palm, where it sat neatly.

"Aizen-sama wants you to use that to separate the boy from his human body in the lab. Nowhere else. Leave the body on table in here, and I will attend to it. I believe Aizen-sama has arranged chambers for his guest."

"I'm not a fuckin' servant." But that was all Grimmjow said in complaint. Aizen had made it quite clear that Kurosaki's well being was _his_ responsibility, for now.

Szayel finished fiddling with his equipment, and took a small vial of a clear liquid, tipped it into the mouth of the Shinigami, and stroked his throat.

Ichigo's eyes flickered beneath his eyelids, and his breathing grew more frequent. He groaned slightly and opened his eyes slowly, blinking at the bright lights.

Taken one look at the room about him and its occupants, he closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

"Shit."

Grimmjow laughed. "Thought you were dreaming, eh, Kurosaki? Get your ass up, we're leaving."

Grimmjow grabbed Ichigo's arm and pulled him swiftly to his feet, and out the lab. Ichigo wobbled unsteadily as he was tugged along by the Sexta.

"Fucking hell, slow down you asshole!" Ichigo yelled as he tripped.

Grimmjow turned, letting go of his new ward. Ichigo stumbled and nearly fell. He leant against the wall for support.

"What the HELL is going on?"

Glaring in annoyance, Grimmjow crossed his arms.

"I gotta make sure you don't get yourself killed in Las Noches while you're in your human body. 'Cause you're _weak_."

"I'll wipe the floor with you any time you like Grimmjow!" Ichigo spat.

"Ahahaha! As if Shinigami! You're weak in that fragile body of yours, and you've got no weapon. So you're at _my mercy_. You'll be doing _everything_ I tell ya."

Ichigo snorted. "Yeah right. I can still beat you like this." He pushed off the wall and stood in fighting stance.

Grimmjow pushed him lightly on the chest and Ichigo stumbled back, glaring.

"Save it til your worth killing."

* * *

Gomen, it's short I know, but I'm still juggling how long chapters should be related to time between updates. I'm going to aim for at least twice as many words next time (this chapter only being 1500 or so). R&R!


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